Brussels 27.07.2022 The Kremlin vowed to hinder the work of Western media in Russia after a European court of Justice upheld a broadcast ban imposed on Russian news channel RT France.

“Of course, we will take similar measures of pressure on Western media that operate in our country,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“We will also not let them work in our country,” he continued, assessing the Kremlin’s reaction to the ban as “extremely negative.”

“Essentially, RT has been blocked and cannot operate in Europe,” Peskov said. “Europeans are trampling on their own ideals.”

As part of EU sanctions imposed on Moscow over its intervention in Ukraine, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg issued a judgement refusing an appeal from state-owned outlet RT against the ban, which the EU imposed earlier in March over accusations that the network spreads disinformation.

Consistently accused of diffusing Russian state propaganda, RT has been blocked in the EU member-states contrary to the organisation’s values of free speech.

Launched in 2005 as Russia Today, the channel had expanded its reach through broadcasts and websites in several languages including English, French, Spanish, German and Arabic, establishing its reputation among the leading world news brands.